F is for Friends

Now I know everyone thinks s/he has the best friends in the world, but I really do!  And I know writing anything about friendship is shopworn at best.  But here goes anyway...

Stan and Kathy Burcham and Us

My family and I have been fortunate to live in several places, including London for almost ten years.  Why is that important?  Because even when you leave, you take your friends with you, and more crucially, you never throw them away.

I've always thought the measure of  my friendship with a person is to remain close, so close that you can take up the same conversation as when you last met and never miss that proverbial beat.

Nancy, Ed Elliott, Michele Elliott, Patricia

Do you lose some along the way?  Unfortunately, it can happen.  You don't mean for it to occur, but some people, alas, do not have the staying power and/or effort it takes to remain friends.  Happily, not many!  (Through the years, I can really say it's only been one.)

So what is it, that intangible, magical, can't live well without thing called friendship?  Trust, constancy, intimacy, loyalty, a degree of like-mindedness and the list goes on. 

Norm and Gerald Duff

For those of us who have moved a bit, friends are coinage.  For those of us who have not moved at all, friends are coinage.  Doesn't matter.  The only thing that does matter is working on continuing the relationship in an adult way, staying in touch whenever possible and being grateful they are in our lives! 

I'll leave you with this axiom on friendship by Oprah Winfrey:

Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.

Pat Stephens



E is for Earth Day--A Billion Acts of Green

I’m old enough to remember when Earth Day was a joke.  It was.  As teachers, many of us said, “Oh, yeah.  Earth Day.  I’d better do something, I guess.”  Not anymore.  Earth Day has a global platform and big teeth.  And it should.  Caring for our planet is no laughing matter.  It is a deadly serious concern.

 Earth Day, founded by Senator Gaylord Nelson, was first organized in 1970 to promote ecology and respect for life on the plane.  It has come a long way from then with one hundred forty countries around the globe participating this year.  And counting.  Earth Day, very much like Earth Hour, has taken on a life of its own.

 

So what in the world can we do to help?  The smallest thing adds up to a billion acts of green! I’ve pledge to not use plastic bags, to using cold water in the washing machine and to using earth friendly cleaning products.  We’ve changed all light bulbs to save electricity, and they are turned off when leaving a room.  I remind students when doing a book signing that turning off a light helps save a polar bear!

But it’s more than these things, isn’t it?  Helping save our planet is really a state of mind.  It’s being in the flow of good ecology every day, even every minute. And soon, it’s a way of life. 

18 Weeks on Amazon Bestseller List

Living this state of mind will help save all our lives and the lives of those to come, our children and our grandchildren. What better ongoing gift can we give to anyone than a sustainable, green and whole planet?  Oh, and it’s not, of course, just April 22.  It’s every minute, every day for the rest of our lives.

D is for Dartmoor in Devon, England (Ghosts, Headless Horsemen and Two Terrified Boys)

My family and I lived in London for ten years.  During that time, we loved to take weekend trips all over the country, and some of our favorites were great places to walk, after being in the city all week. 

This particular weekend, we chose Dartmoor, a wild and beautifully barren and desolate place in Devon that has more ghost stories than one could remember in a lifetime.  It is said to be full of pixies, a headless horseman, a mysterious pack of spectral hounds, ala Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Hounds of the Baskervilles novel.

We set out one weekend to visit the moors with our youngest son, Brian, and his best friend, Brett, both of whom were ten years old.  By the time we reached Dartmoor, they had scared themselves silly reading ghost stories of the moor. 

We reached our inn just before dark with the requisite fog beginning to swirl around the headlights.  After settling in our rooms, the four of us met up for dinner in the cosy dining room.  A cheery fire blazed as if to ward off anything wicked that could be afoot in the misty countryside.

The ghost stories continued all through dinner.  The boys were besotted with ghosts, goblins and supernatural goings-on.   We could not get them off the topic! 

After dessert of warm cherry cobbler, my husband said, "Hey, boys, want to take a walk on the moors?"


I thought he'd lost his mind and, if I'm not mistaken, said so...

Of course the boys were out of their minds with anticipation, so with a "torch" borrowed from the front desk, off they went.  I went into the sitting room to fret.

An English gentleman evidently had heard the whole exchange at dinner and very politely said to me, "Don't worry, Madam.  This kind of experience is good for the lads.  Toughens them up."

"Right," I thought to myself, after murmuring something like, "Thank you. I'm sure that's true."

Wild Dartmoor Ponies

Within half an hour, back they came, all smiles and seemingly not worried at all about "things that go bump in the night." 
"Wow, that was so cool," and "we weren't scared at all," the guys said, as they snagged a coke from the barman.

"So," I asked my husband, "what happened?"

He chuckled and said they had a great time scaring each other and themselves.  Seemed there was a tall brick wall running the length of the property (which I hadn't seen).  My husband never left that area and could see the wall at all times.  The boys, of course, were oblivious and thought they had to be lost on the moors!  How delicious!  What an adventure!

To this day, both "boys" talk about their walk on the moors.  Of course, now they know they were never lost.  But they still remember the warm cherry cobbler, those old goosebumpy, chills down their spines, and thoughts of dogs from nowhere, quicksand and goblins.

My husband and the English gentleman were right after all.  Who knew?

 

C is for Nile Crocodiles in Lake Turkana, Kenya

My family and I were in Kenya on safari for several weeks.  One of the most remarkable things we did was to fly in a friend's bush plane from Nairobi up the Rift Valley to the banks of Lake Turkana (previously known as Lake Rudolph.)

The Great Rift Valley

Our friend is an archaeologist and runs a site called Koobi Fora.  He and his team study some of the earliest hominids ever discovered.

This area of the Rift Valley is some of the most inhospitable terrains on earth. It is, however, home to one of the largest populations of Nile crocodiles in the world.  They are supported by the Nile perch (tilapia to you and me) that are abundant in Turkana's water. 
I've always been a runner.  So I asked our host if it would be safe to run along the sandy shore of the lake.

"Certainly," he said.  "Just mind the crodcodiles.  Let them slip into the water first.  No worries."

Crocs along the shore of Lake Turkana

I liked the sound of that, so I had my early morning run.  And he was right!  As I ran along,  crocodile after crocodile slipped into the warm water of Lake Turkana.  I completed my run and felt wonderful.

Would I do it again?  Never.  Why then?  The sun was shining, birds were chirping, and in the moment, the world was serene.  It was Africa, after all... 

B is for Bella Saves the Beach

The third book in my Bella and Britt Series is titled Bella Saves the Beach, published by Guardian Angel Publishing.  It will be out later this spring. I wrote the book after seeing so much beach trash thrown on Clearwater Beach, Florida where my family and I have a condo. 

My morning walks are usually busy.  Instead of simply walking and enjoying the beautiful gulf, the birds and breezes, I'm collecting trash, much of it ready to be carried away by the surf.

Now I'm not alone in this endeavor.  My friend, Renate, goes on the same mission each morning, and many times tourists join us as well.

But our picking up beach trash is not the answer.  The answer lies in education. 


 We need to educate our children about their ability to help save their planet.  We need to educate them to respect the animals that share this planet with us.  And we need to educate them to realize they will someday inherit the world we leave them.

B is for beach.  Oh, so important.

A is for Author in A to Z Challenge!

I love a challenge, and this is a good one!

On this first day of the A to Z Challenge, let me introduce myself.  I'm Nancy Stewart, a children's author.  My Bella and Britt Series (Guardian Angel Publishing), are children's picture books.  One of the books in the series, One Pelican at a Time:  A Story of the Gulf oil Spill, was on Amazon's Bestselling List for Children for 18 weeks and won a Children's Classics Seal of Approval.

Winter and Katrina
Clearwater Marine Aquarium
Clearwater, Florida

The newest book, to be released in May, is Katrina and Winter:  Partners in Courage.  It is a chapter book and the authorized biography of Katrina Simpkins, a girl who has to use a prosthetic leg and Winter, the dolphin, of Dolphin Tale fame. 

(Please have a look at video about Katrina and Winter below.)

After having met and befriended Winter, Katrina went from being an introverted and bullied girl to one who now rides horses, models and speaks before large crowds, never failing to mention Winter.  It's a heartwarming children's chapter book about both brave "girls!"

I'm looking forward to the challenge in April and hope you visit my blog again and again and will become a follower--as I will, of course, with yours.
Happy blogging!

The Blogging from A to Z Challenge (April, 2012)

 Hello, Dear Reader,

The month of April will be slightly different this year on my blog.  I've picked up the gauntlet thrown down by The Blogging from A to Z Challenge.  Each day I will have a different entry, each represented by an alphabetical letter.  Tomorrow, then, will begin with A.  All the other Sundays in April are a free day.

  
I hope you join me on this challenge and are entertained as well as perhaps learn something new.  Or just come on over out of curiosity.

Hope to see you here!

Janet Halfman--A Picture Book Writer for all Seasons

Today it is my great honor to have as my guest a prolific author, Janet Halfman.  Janet has written over thirty books during her career, and picture books are her forte. 


She has won many awards, including her latest, the Wisconsin Writers Children’s Literature Award for her picture book, “Star of the Sea: A Day in the Life of a Starfish.” The Council for Wisconsin Writers(http://www.wiswriters.org/) announced the award March 22. Congratulations!

Janet was inspired to write "Star of the Sea" because of her long-time fascination with sea stars.  The book's collage-art illustrations are by Joan Paley, and the publiusher is Henry Holt/Christy Ottaviano Books.

NS  You are, I think, one of the few authors who began the writing dream early and never wavered from it.  Would you tell our readers a bit about your early love of writing and how that prepared you for your ongoing career.

JH  I’ve loved to write since I was a child, but I didn’t think about writing as a career until after I graduated from college. I took a course in children’s writing by mail, and soon was hooked. I sold a few articles to children’s magazines like Ranger Rick and Jack and Jill, but wanted to make a living writing, so I returned to college and got a second degree in journalism (my first was in English and Spanish, with plans to teach). My journalism degree led to a job as a daily newspaper reporter in Kansas, which gave me great research skills and improved my writing because I had to write every day. My next position as the managing editor of a national magazine for rural kids taught me to simplify my writing and make it more fun. Next came many years writing the text and planning the pictures for color and activity books. From that experience, I gained the skills of telling a story in a few words and showing a great picture on each page. Those skills are very useful now in writing picture books. 

NS  How did you come to the picture book genre?  Any thoughts about middle grade, or have you happily found your niche? 

JH  I started my children’s book career fifteen years ago writing nonfiction books, divided into chapters, for educational publishers. But whenever I had time to write something of my own, it was always a picture book. So I guess the picture book genre essentially found me, rather than vice versa. I am extremely happy writing picture books, and will likely continue to do so. 

NS  You have been so prolific with over thirty books published and more to come.  Tell us the genesis of your ideas for new stories. 

JH  Stories come from so many places—from my childhood, from experiences with my four kids and four grandkids, from something I see or read, etc. I have a file where I collect interesting items I find for possible future stories. I also love to read books about little-known or unusual things about people, events, history, animals, plants, etc. 

NS  My favorite book of yours is Good Night, Little Sea Otter.  What are your favorites and why? 

JH  Little Skink’s Tail will always have a special place in my heart because it was my first fiction picture book, and writing fiction had always been my dream. Seven Miles to Freedom: The Robert Smalls Story is a favorite because I feel so honored to have been able to tell this true story of such an amazing African-American Civil War hero. Also, I’m immensely proud that my recent nonfiction picture book, Star of the Sea: A Day in the Life of a Starfish, was named an Outstanding Science Trade Book by the National Science Teachers Association and the Children’s Book Council.

NS  Please tell us about your new books.  I notice we share a publisher on one of them, A Rainbow of Birds, by Guardian Angel Publishing. 

JH  My book, Home in the Cave, illustrated by Shennen Bersani, is just out from Sylvan Dell Publishing. It is the story of Baby Bat, who never wants to leave his cozy cave, but changes his mind after he finds out how important the bats’ insect-hunting is to the survival of the other animals in the cave.

My book, Eggs 1, 2, 3: Who Will the Babies Be?, illustrated by Betsy Thompson, comes out April 24 from Blue Apple Books. I am very excited about this book because it is a Lift-the-Flap book. It is both a guessing and counting book, written in song-like, non-rhyming verse. My Guardian Angel book, A Rainbow of Birds, is a fun original bird legend about the origin of the rainbow that a father cardinal tells to his three chicks. It is being illustrated by Ellen Gurak and no publishing date has yet been set.

NS   Where can the readers find you and your amazing books? 

JH  My books can be found just about anywhere–at your favorite bookstore or online. Several of them also are available in various e-book formats, including several of them in Spanish. My new book, Home in the Cave, is featured as a free e-book all during March at Sylvan Dell Publishing:

http://sylvandellpublishing.com/ 

My website is: http://www.janethalfmann.com

I also can be found on:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janethalfmann?ref=tn_tnmn

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/JanetHalfmann

Katrina and Winter: Partners in Courage (My New Chapter Book Biography of Katrina Simpkins with Winter, the Dolphin)

Katrina Simpkins is a hero to everyone who meets her.  She is certainly a hero to me.


(Please see video about Katrina and Winter, the dolphin of the Dolphin Tale film at the bottom of this post.)

I heard about Katrina three years ago at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Clearwater, Florida, where we had gone to see Winter the young dolphin who had lost her tail in a crab trap line.  She had been fitted with a prosthetic tail to help her swim the way a dolphin does. 

A video had been produced by the aquarium about Winter's meeting children fitted with prosthetic limbs who found strength and solace in this amazing dolphin.  Katrina, whose life had been profoundly changed by meeting Winter, was featured in the video. 

Two and a half years later, I received a phone call from a woman who identified herself as Martie Simpkins.  I immediately thought, "I've heard of this woman."  And I had.  

Martie is Katrina's mom.  She'd seen what I'd written about Winter on my blog and wanted me to write the authorized biography of Katrina, as it related to her relationship with Winter.

Katrina's first look at Winter, the dolphin

I was excited and apprehensive about doing the book.  I'd never done a biography, and it was instantly crucial to me to do the best job I could for Katrina.  It was both frightening and exhilarating.

And then I met Katrina.  She and her family, who live in Indiana, visited us one weekend.  That's all it took.  She captured my heart as she does everyone's.  The book is important for Katrina.  For me, it is serious, and it has become personal.


Katrina Simpkins, who was born with Proximal femoral focal deficiency , is the bravest person I've ever met.   She is kind, loving, expansive and wise.  And she's only twelve.  It is my honor to have written her biography.  The book will be released in May, 2012 by Guardian Angel Publishing. 

Katrina and Nancy at the author's home.

The story of Katrina and Winter is inspiring.  Her life is remarkable, as is Winter's.  These two youngsters are forever inextricably connected.  Each has a formidable story.  Each is a hero of the first water.  Put them together with the help of Guardian Angel Publishing, and you have Katrina and Winter:  Partners in Courage.

Smellessence by Autumn Publishing-Kids' Books that Smell, Including Farts!

 Autumn Publishing Group is to launch Smellessence, a division which will use new technology to create a range of scented books.

Earlier this week Bonnier announced it had bought the global rights to this technology, which uses micro-encapsulation and touch activation to put different scents into the pages of books. The technology, which has only been used in the textile and cosmetics industries, has a shelf life of three years. It is non-toxic and compliant with the EN71 Standard and the 2013 toy directive.

The Smellessence list will launch in July with the four-title strong The SPLOTZ!™ range, a group of characters “with a distinct smell and personality to match”. Each of the four books will contain nine “smelly stickers."

This series will feature nice smells: bubblegum and berry flavors. This spring, though, Autumn Publishing will release a book titled The Story of the Famous Farter.  It will include a fart smell on its last page. Autumn's PR said of the book,  "It will be as palatable as farts go."

You heard it here first, folks!

Guest Post with Sheila Welch and Her New Book, Waiting to Forget

Today I am delighted to have Sheila Welsh as a guest on the blog. She writes and illustrates for children of all ages. Her story "The Holding-On Night," published in Cricket, won the International Reading Association's Short Story Award.

Sheila's new book, Waiting to Forget, (namelos Publishing) has  launched to rave reviews.  Kirkus Reviews says:

 T.J.'s authentic voice and the multilayered presentation of his memories, shifting between the waiting room and his past, make for a poignant, realistic tale of child-survivors.

Welcome, Sheila!

THE SKYPE'S THE LIMIT

As an author who writes for children, I always enjoy interacting with my young audience through programs at bookstores, libraries, and schools. Now that I'm older and not quite so eager to drop everything and travel, I've been using Skype to make that vital connection with readers.

Although the technology for this visual and audible form of communication is amazing, it's not perfect, and I'd be lost without my husband, who's resident assistant for all things digital. Despite a few glitches in the screen image and the audio, Skype has made it possible for me to make five virtual appearances since the recent publication of my novel, WAITING TO FORGET.

Certain parts of a Skype visit are actually quite similar to one in person. An initial contact must be made between the host and the author. Arrangements and schedules have to be worked out and confirmed. Payment needs to be discussed and agreed upon. (Many authors do these virtual visits for free.) Both the author and the teacher or librarian need to prepare themselves and the students for the program.

There are some negative aspects of a Skype visit. The most obvious disadvantage is that the children miss out on the fun of meeting an author in person. Of course, if technical problems occur during the virtual visit, everyone is dissatisfied.

On the positive side, the advantages of Skype are obvious: no travel, no expenses for the author, low fees (if any) for the host to pay, and a chance for an author to do distant visits or a series of visits over an extended period of time.

In the past, I've traveled reasonable distances for all-day presentations, and I've done residencies of several weeks at a few nearby schools. Via Skype, I've spent an hour with a 'tween book club in California over 1500 miles from home. And I am currently involved in an on-going, in depth discussion of WAITING TO FORGET with a class of interested and perceptive sixth graders who live in Nebraska.

It's been exciting for me to meet these kids, listen to their comments, and answer their astute questions about my book. The main characters in WAITING TO FORGET are twelve-year-old T.J. and his eight-year-old sister, Angela. Most of the story is told in chronological flashbacks, beginning when T.J. is only five years old. Although I wanted to tell the story this way, I realized that defining the audience would be difficult. WAITING TO FORGET is about a serious subject, child neglect and abuse, yet the protagonist is very young. I was fairly certain that it would appeal to kids between ten and fourteen; it's been good to find these preteens so engrossed in the story.  I've worked with their enthusiastic teacher and the librarian at their public library to coordinate my visits.  The structure was already in place since this class has read other books as a group.  Once each week, the librarian reads aloud a chapter of the novel, and the students then read the next few chapters to they're ready for a discussion with me the following week.

I divided my book into five sections of four or five chapters.  For each section, I've sent questions to the teacher that are open-ended and intended to encourage the students to stretch a little beyond their comfort zone.  I've been surprised at some of their reactions.  They show a real un derstanding and empathy for the characters.  Some adult reviewers have been quite critical of the birth mother in my story.  She's a single parent who is irresponsible and consistently makes poor choices.  And yet, the sixth grade readers are willing to see that Celia, herself, may not have had a perfect childhood.  Like T.J., some of them are willing to give her a measure of love despite her faults.

What more can an author ask for?  I've located a group of readers who "get" my book, and I have a way to chat with them again and again as they read it.  The possibilities are unlimited.  Or, to say it another way, yes, the Sky (pe's) the limit!

Thank you, Sheila.  This was a pleasure, indeed.  Come back soon!

Do Books Make Us Human?

“Books are really part of what makes us human.” So says  Rosemary Agoglia, curator of education at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, Massachusetts, in a New York Times article about efforts to teach children the merits and pleasures of the “pre-web page,” of books.

In New York City, the Morgan Book Project seeks to “instill in children of the digital age an appreciation for books by providing authentic materials to write, illustrate and construct their own medieval and Renaissance-inspired illuminated manuscripts.”


The NYC Department of Education developed the free program for children in grades 3 through 7, in conjunction with the world-renowned Morgan Library and Museum, which houses a rich collectionn of medieval and Renaissance manuscripts.  It also has a priceless collection of printed books, including Gutenberg Bibles.

Students who participate in the Morgan Book Project make their own illuminated manuscripts, even mixing the pigments using 16th century techniques. Cochineal — dried insects — makes red dye; malachite (a green mineral), spinach, fish glue, gum arabic, saffron threads and 22-karat gold are also used.

Agoglia of the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art also says she thinks that “digital and physical content delivery formats will co-exist for the next generation of readers.” But she does describe those aspects of physical books that cannot be recreated on an iPad, the tactile pleasures of turning pages, marking them, folding down corners, writing your name or gluing in a bookplate. Books, she says, are more than just the text on their pages:

Kids working on the Morgan Library Project

It is those dog-eared pages, coffee-stained covers or where you signed your name in the front when you were 4 years old. That memory is attributed to a physical object. Books are really part of what makes us human.

What do you think?  Will traditional books fall out of favor and become a relic of the past? Will iPads and such last as long as books have?  I'd love to have some comments from you, dear reader. 

Sea Turtle Nesting Season Begins in Florida

Florida wildlife officials are warning beachgoers to watch out for sea turtles coming ashore to lay their eggs.Loggerhead, leatherback and green sea turtles regularly nest on Florida beaches from March through October. All three are federally protected species.

Green sea turtle

(Please see video of green sea turtle laying her eggs in video at end of post.)


Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials warn beachgoers to leave the turtles and their nests alone.

Sea turtle eggs typically incubate for 45 to 60 days, and the vulnerable hatchlings will emerge through November.

Bella and Britt guiding loggerhead turtles safely to sea

Officials urge people to turn off or shield outdoor lights that face the ocean, because the artificial lights can disorient hatchlings heading toward the water.

 The commission says 2011 was an exceptional year for sea turtles in Florida, with a record number of green turtle nests and a high number of leatherback turtle nests.  

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/03/15/2694923/sea-turtle-nesting-season-begins.html#storyli

The Illinois Reading Council Conference is a Winner!

Wow.  What a terrific two days this has been. Titled, Literacy in the Land of Lincoln, the conference has been a time filled with ideas, new notions, old and new friends and talk of writing flowing like well aged wine.  Oh, yes.  There was well aged wine, too!


This evening will bring our formal dinner with an entrance by President and Mrs Lincoln.  Our menu is from a state dinner held during President Lincoln's tenure at the White House.  It promises to be lovely.

My presentation was today, and it was a full house--actually, standing room only. My power point, Every Kid Can (Write a Picture Book!) did not let me down, both technically and academically, so I feel great about the outcome.

And so the conference is winding down.  Authors, educators and vendors will soon be on their way home.  I for one, am glad to have attended another year.  I always come away feeling renewed and ready to continue the profession that is right for me--writing books for kids!

Scholastic Books is Developing App For E-Reading

Scholastic Inc. is developing an app called Storia, which includes around 1,300 e-books and multimedia e-books that can be bought directly from the publisher or from retailers. Such favorite picture series as "Clifford the Big Red Dog" and "Ready, Freddy!" will be in digital format for the first time. The app also will feature games, quizzes, interactive stories, an e-dictionary and a virtual book shelf that kids can organize.

Scholastic Media president Deborah Forte says the idea is to make e-books "more accessible and more relevant."

A beta version will become available soon for teachers and families who buy through the Scholastic Book Clubs and other Scholastic sales channels. Storia is expected to launch for the general public in the fall, when it should have more than 2,000 books.  Forte said Scholastic sees the app "as a way to support reading and something that's just plain fun."

The app is free and will be available first at scholastic.com/storia, then on iTunes later this month. Those who download the app will get five free books, including two multimedia selections. Forte says the e-books should range in price from $1.95 to $20.

Storia is intended for children ages 3-14, and the app is tailored for each age, whether the books themselves or the difficulty of the quizzes. Parents can track which books their kids are reading, how long they read them and which new words they learned.